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(No Model.) 7 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. C. A. GRILLWITZER.

DINING TABLE.

No. 348,667. Patent 'ed. Sept. 7, 1886.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

0. A. GRILLWITZER.

DINING TABLE.

UNITED STATES PATENT CFFIGE.

CHARLES A. GRILLVITZER, OF SAN FRANOISCQCALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE AUTOMATIC DINING TABLE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

TABLE.

SPECIFICATION i'orming part of Letters Patent No. 348,667, dated September 7, 1886.

Application filed November 7, 1885.

T0 (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. GRILL- WITZER, of the city and county of San Francisco, and State of California, have invented an Improvement in Dining Tables; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to that class of diningtables which may be called self-helping, and my invention consists in the combination of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of my invention is to provide a dining-table at which the guests may be speedily and effectively served without the employment of waiters.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my table. Fig. 2 is a detail showing the manner of mounting the carriage H. Fig. 3 is a detail showing one of the keys 8. Fig. 4 is a plan of a portion of the table, showing the engagement oftwo of the trays, one from each side. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail showing the means for engaging the bars M. Fig. 6 is an end View of same.

The table A consists of a suitable frame mounted on legs B. The longitudinal center of the table is elevated, forming a chamber, a, and side platforms, a, the latter of which are divided by rabbeted guideeleats a into suitable spaces for each guest. In these spaces are the service-trays G, which rest and slide upon the rabbeted guide-cleats, being adapted to be drawn into the chamber a and to be pushed out therefrom, friction being reduced by the intervention of rollers where needed. The elevated center of the table is supported at intervals corresponding to the guest-spaces by standards D, at the inner ends of the divisional cleats. Upon the inner surface of these standards are small bearings d, in which are seated the parallel ways or tracks E, extending the whole length of the table within the sides of the chamber and back into the kitchemdefined by the partition F.

H is the carriage, consisting of a frame-work having on the sides of its top bearings h, by which it is suspended from and is adapted to travel upon the ways or tracks E, and on its bottom the angled cleats or guides h,to receive Serial No. 182,1GQ. (No model.)

the service-trays. This carriage, for the sake of strength and lightness, is preferably made of iron, and for the purposes intended this iron is angled and channeled, the former construction affording guides both for suspending itself and for receiving the trays. The guides h, at the bottom of the carriage, are on a level with the rabbeted cleats a", and therefore the service-trays may be readily moved from one to the other.

The carriage is intended to be moved along in the chamber a to any point desired, and also to be withdrawn into the kitchen. This movement is accomplished as follows: Vithin the kitchen is a drum or wheel, I, having radial handles i,whereby it maybe turned by hand, though it may be operated by any other power, as by the foot, through a properly-arranged treadle. Secured to the rear end of the carriage is a line, J (here shown as a tape,) for a purpose I shall presently describe. The rear end of the tape is secured to the drum I, and is seated in a suitable groove therein. Secured to the other end of the carriage is a wire or line, K, which extends to the outer end of the table, where it is guided back again by a sheave, 7;, and is secured to the drum I. By turning the drum. one way or the other the carriage is drawn forward into the chamber a or withdrawn therefrom. The reason for using the tape is that it affords a better opportunity than a wire to receive divisional marks, such as represented by j, whereby the operator can tell the position of the carriage and just how far to move it in accordance with the directions received from the guests.

The service'trays are intended to be moved inwardly to the carriage and to be pushed out again upon the side platforms; and it will be so seen that whatever mechanism is employed to effect this must be adapted to be engaged and disengaged readily, so that one or more trays may be handled, as desired.

Bolted to the frame of the table are brack- 5 ets L, Figs. 5, 6, in the tops of which are seated and adapted to slide a bar, M, one on each side of the chamber a. Their rear ends project into the kitchen,and have handles in, by which they are operated.

Secured firmly to the inner arm of those brackets, on one side of the table, is a rod, N, which extends to and is secured in the outer arm of the opposing brackets, and a rod, N, is secured to the inner arm of said brackets, and is secured to the outer arm of the first brackets, These rods are therefore situated in pairs, and extend transversely of the chamber a, Fig. 4. Bolted to the standards D are angled guidebars O, on which rest the levers P. One end of these levers is pivoted at p to sleeves Q, which are seated and slide on the guide-rods N N at opposite ends. The outer ends of the sleeves have studs g, which engage elongated opeirended slotted or grooved-seats 0 under the inner edges of the service-trays, Figs. 5, 6. The other or free ends of the levers I? have studs 1), which are adapted to engage with and to be disengaged from the movable bars M, which have holes at at intervals to receive them. In the lower portions of the brackets L are pivoted bell-crank levers It, having cam-heads 7'. These work up through a break or opening in the angled bars 0, on which the levers I? rest. The openings permit the levers when at rest to lie upon the cam-heads of the bell-cranks, whereby their studs 1) are disengaged from the bars M. By elevating the cam-heads the levers are thrown up to the plane of their guidebars O, and their studs engage the holes in the bars M. lVires S are connected with the bell-cranks,

and extend each separately back to keys 8,

seated in a board, 8, in front of the operator. These keys have notches s, which engage the board s" and hold them back, when desired. Springs 0" hold the bell-cranks in position.

In the divisional cleats a of the side platforms, a, are the electric push-buttons T,which are in a battery circuit or circuits, unnecessary for me to show or to describe, and which cause the small numbered checks t on the board a to drop, somewhat upon the principle Then laying the bill upon the tray in front of him he touches the button T,beside him. The falling of the check it corresponding to his number indicates to the operator in the kitchen the readiness and location of the guest. According to the side upon which the guest is seated the operator first pulls back the proper key s,which, through the wire S,throws up the proper bell-crank and elevates the lever P. Then he pulls back one of the bars M, where by one of the holes min said bar,engaging the stud p of the lever P, carries said lever along with it. This movement of the lever, acting through the sliding studded sleeve Q, draws inwardly the tray to and upon the carriage H. The operator then turns the drum I,by which the carriage is drawn back into the kitchen, the tray disengaging itself from the lever by reason of its open-ended groove or bearing 0. \Vhen the tray has been supplied in the kitchen, the carriage is moved forward again until, by the marks on the tape J, the operator knows it is opposite the proper place and has re-engaged the lever P. Then he pushes forward the bar M, whereby the lever, through the sleeve Q, forces the tray outwardly from the carriage to its place on the side platform.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a dining-table having alongitudinal way or chamber, a reciprocating carriage within said chamber, in combination with service trays and a mechanism comprising levers and bars within said chamber, constructed so as to force the trays sidewise from the carriage and to draw them upon it again, substantially as described.

2. In a dining-table, the table A, having a longitudinal chamber and side platforms, a, in combination with the service-trays O, guided on said platforms, the reciprocating carriage H within the chamber, and mechanism comprising levers and bars constructed so as to draw the trays from the platforms to and upon the carriage and to force them out again, substantially as herein described.

3. I11 a (lining-table, the table A, having a longitudinal chamber and guest spaces on each side, in combination with a carriage in the chamber, service-trays in the guest-spaces, mechanism operated from an adjoining apartment for reciprocating the carriage and drawing and withdrawing the trays upon and from said carriage, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

4. In a dining-table, the table A, having an elevated longitudinal center forminga chamber, a, and side platforms, at, and the ways or tracks E in the sides of said chamber, in combination with the reciprocating tray-bearing carriage H, having top bearings, h, suspending it from the ways ,or tracks, and bottom cleats or guides, h, for the trays, substantially as herein described.

5. In a dining-table, the table A, formed with chamber a and sides a, in combination with the movable service-trays G, guided up on said sides, and the reciprocating carriage H, mounted within the chamber, and having bottom guides, h, on a level with the guides of the sides a, for the reception of the trays, substantially as herein described.

6. In a dining-table, the movable service trays G, in combination wit-h the mechanism for moving them, consisting of the laterallytraveling sleeves Q, engaging the trays, the levers I, pivoted to the sleeves, and the longitudinally-moving bars M, engaging the lever, substantially as herein described.

ICC

7. In a diningtable, the movable servicetrays G, in combination with the mechanism for engaging, moving, and disengaging them, consisting of the laterally-traveling sleeves Q, having studs (1, engaging an open-ended groove, 0, on the tray, the levers P, pivoted to the sleeves and having studs 1), the longitudinally-moving bars M, having holes m, for engaging the studs of the lovers, the pivoted bellcrank levers R, by which the lovers P are thrown up to or dropped from their engagement, and the wires S and keys 8, for operating the bell-crank levers, substantially as herein described.

8. In a dini ng-table,the table A, formed with a chamber, a, and sides a, and the reciproeating carriage H within said chamber, in combination with the movable service-trays G and the mechanism for moving them from the sides to the carriage, and vice versa, consisting of the laterally-traveling sleeves Q, havingstuds q;engaging an open-ended groove, 0, on the tray, the levers 1, pivoted to the sleeves and having studs 1), the longitudinally-moving bars M, having holes m, for engaging the studs of the levers, the pivoted bell-crank levers R, by which the levers P are thrown up to or dropped from their engage ment, and the wires S and keys 8, for operating the bell-crank levers, substantially as herein described.

9. In a dining-table, the table A, formed with a chamber, a, and sides a, and the reciprocating carriage H within said chamber, in combination with the movable service-trays O on the sides, the brackets L in the sides of the chamber, the l0ngitudinally-moving bars M, seated in the brackets and having holes m, the guide-rods N N, mounted in said brackets, and the sliding sleeves Q on said rods, having studs q, engaging open-ended grooves c on the trays, the guide-bars 0, having openings, the bell-crank levers R, and the wires S and keys 8, for operating them, and the levers I pivoted to the sleeves Q, resting on the bell-cranks R, guided by the bars 0, and having studs 1), for engaging the bars M, substantially as described.

hand.

CHARLES A. GRILLXVITZER. Witnesses:

S. H. NoURsE, H. 0. LEE.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my 

